Rollover knocks down hydro pole, driver sustains ‘life-altering injuries’
January 14, 2026 at 3:51 PM
UPDATE | January 14, 2026 @ 7:29 p.m.: In an emailed statement to Fort Erie Radio, community engagement officer Rob Tihor of the Ontario Provincial Police indicated that the driver, 43, has been charged with careless driving, but there were no signs of impairment.
He was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the incident and the airbag deployed on impact.
ORIGINAL STORY | January 14, 2026 @ 3:51 p.m.: A male driver was taken to the hospital with potentially life-altering injuries after a single-vehicle rollover on Garrison Road on Tuesday afternoon.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said in a post on X/Twitter at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday that Garrison Road had reopened after the on-scene investigation was completed. The crash happened at approximately 2 p.m. near Teal Road.
The driver needed to be extricated from the vehicle by Fort Erie Fire and Emergency Services and was transported by paramedics to a local hospital with serious “life-threatening” injuries. Credit: OPP Highway Safety Division | X/TwitterAccording to OPP, the driver lost control, rolled, knocked down a hydro pole, and struck a tree that had already fallen during a recent windstorm, sending the vehicle into the side yard of a nearby home.
Fort Erie Fire and Emergency Services chief training officer Roger Haist said that firefighters had to extricate the driver from the vehicle and that he was conscious at the scene.
Paramedics transported him to the hospital for treatment of injuries described at the time as serious and potentially life-threatening.
In a post on X/Twitter at 4:06 p.m. Tuesday, OPP said that the driver was the lone occupant and was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The collision triggered a full investigation and a closure in both directions between Bernard and Barker avenues.
OPP reported that the car continued moving after colliding with the hydro pole, then finally stopped when it struck a tree fallen by a recent windstorm in a neighbouring yard. Credit: OPP Highway Safety Division | X/TwitterThe full extent of the driver’s injuries was not immediately known, and the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation. No other vehicles were involved.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash camera footage is asked to contact OPP.
Canal closures, other highway construction planned this week
Several QEW lane closures to affect Fort Erie traffic this week
Automated speed enforcement program coming to Garrison Road
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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